Panacea
by MaroonLynx
Summary: With decades of unrest and unforgotten hatred, the Heartfillia Konzern and the Fairy Tail Guild's feud rages on. But when two young people cast aside their names and fall into forbidden, taboo love, even what order that is left plummets to chaos. With seemingly no stop to the violence, not even the wise could have known that the problem was indeed the solution. Nalu/GaLe


This story takes elements from

Romeo and Juliet, which is Shakespeare's.

I do not own Fairy Tail either.

GaLe

NaLu

Gruvia

Stingnerva

**. **

**_Panacea_**

_"Because the problem is indeed the solution"_

-Chapter 1-

**.**

* * *

_Prologue_

_Like all tales that were watered by time,_

_to grow into magnificent legends,_

_this story takes place in a realm far away._

_Away from the bustling clamor of metropolitan cities,_

_hovering in the mezzo of history and folklore..._

_And into times more golden and ancient_

_A story, perhaps a myth, of_

_Two groups of remarkable people, who were made so by their remarkable hate._

_OF the vibrant romance that dared to rise as smoke from the smoldering ashes around._

_And of the foolish callowness of surrounding families, friends and spectators alike._

_All_

_Failing_

_to realize,_

_That the problem was indeed the solution._

* * *

"Say, Levy-san, have you seen Natsu today?"

"No…now that you mention it…" replied the petite blue-haired girl, who was careful not to spill the apples stacked dangerously high in the coarse-haired basket she was hugging. Lisanna, her friend, ran in front of her, bobbing her head impatiently.

Levy was never as interested in gossip as much as she was.

Tantalizing words and shallow secrets they were, yet it was absolutely necessary for the daily inedible "diet" of Lisanna that also consisted of unladylike laughter.

"Well, Bisca-san told me that he got rejected by Erza. _Again_!"

At this, Levy couldn't help but snort a giggle at the disgraceful scenes that floated across her mind. It must have been the hundredth time this has occurred. It had become almost a tradition for them to exchange hot-headed Natsu's disastrous chronicles on their grocery trips for Mirajane.

If her memory wasn't faulty, she did recall that last time the poor fellow was rendered unconscious from a blow to the head by an armored fist.

"How'd she do it this time?"

"I heard she punted him right out of the window and he landed on those pretty roses my sister had been working on! Can you believe it?"

The two girls laughed as they walked down the wide cobblestone path paved in the beautiful city of Magnolia, bumping and pushing against each other; telling series of wild stories about the people that they knew: with mostly Lisanna talking in her chirping animatedly and Levy patiently listening and occasionally adding a comment. The girls' unending conversation was punctuated with giggles and witty remarks.

* * *

It was already late afternoon and the fiery orange of the dying sun billowed through the fluffing pink clouds, dusting across their glowing faces. Passerbyers, most of them young country men, turned their heads around to stare a second time at the two beautiful girls floating down the road; their twinkling laughter filled with charm and gaiety.

As the girls walked closer, the bright aromas of dinners being prepared made their mouths water. Those tempting smells that wafted out of the slivers of almost-closed windows reminded them of the tantalizing dishes Mirajane and Kinana would cook. Just the thought of Mirajane's famous vegetable stew made their steps a little more quick and mood a little lighter.

"-and then she told me Gajeel-san actually kept those letters you wrote for him!" Lisanna laughed, poking Levy on the nose in sisterly affection, "I told her that you'd make a fine pair!"

"Ehh, Lisanna! Why'd you do that?" Levy groaned, narrowly missing Lisanna's shin as she motioned to kick her playfully, "I've told you a million times that we are just friends! It's nothing serious! And I only wrote those letters because he wanted to study western cursive. But now, thanks all to you; he's going to think I'm more annoying and obnoxious-

Lisanna, standing a few feet behind her had suddenly grown quiet. Turning around in exasperation, and thinking it was one of her antics; Levy was surprised to see that her expression was grim. Her smiling countenance fell as anger shadowed her pixie features.

"Lisanna? We have to get back!" She called nervously, waving both arms to catch the attention of her friend. Instead, Lisanna stood still. Her gaze fixed towards area of Magnolia's town square. When she finally opened her mouth, she uttered something so dreadful that it washed away the contagious happiness that swirled about the air moments before.

The word wasn't too dreadful. It was through the way Lisanna enunciated it that Levy knew of its hidden dire: her tongue spat out the syllables as if they were festering with bitter mold.

_"Heartfillias"_

Levy felt the air catch in her windpipes.

Suddenly Gajeel didn't seem as important.

_Not tonight…please…_

She found herself begging. It was all going too well for something like this to happen. Weren't they just laughing a few moments ago?

The old folks used to say that Magnolia's hatred and resentment manifested itself into the two groups of people identifying themselves as either members of the Fairy Tail Guild or the Heartfillia Konzern.

It was a spark of a small fight oiled by the arrogance and pride of both families into the great roaring flames of a wildfire that raged on for two centuries straight. It was more than often that the peace of the town was shattered by constant scuffles and bloodshed; resulting in bricks of detestation building itself up to a tower that reached the very fabric that made up the celestial realms. With all possible ugliness embodied and imbibed in the blood-and-gore feud, Magnolia's innocent picturesque beauty and effulgent state thrived.

Adopted as an orphan into the Guild, Levy was as loyal as any member. However, when it came down to contempt, Levy found herself more scared of the powerful Heartfillias than disgusted.

It almost seemed wrong at times to even think that the Heartfillias were not any more evil or good than they were, and that truly they shed not a single drop more of blood than Fairy Tail.

She kept thoughts like those to herself.

For now, another fight was to commence.

Another splash of oil for the ever-hungry and ever-consuming fire.

And with every drop, the steps towards repentance seemed to stretch a bit farther into something of a legend rather than a possibility.

"Lisanna! We have to go! If they see us staring, they'll rip us to pieces!"

Grabbing the limp hand of her friend, Levy mustered all the strength she could to pull Lisanna away, apples tumbling to the ground. "Please, Li! We have to go!"

With every word, her voice climbed higher and hoarser.

But Lisanna did not move. She stood like a statue carved with a still, terrible expression.

"It's Natsu."

"Natsu?" Levy asked, softening the grip on Lisanna's cold arm. In the near distance, as she squinted hard, she could now make out the faint outline of two figures preparing for battle, staunch stances and an atmosphere as heavy as lead.

The smoky rose hue of hair betrayed all other possibilities of the figure being anyone other than Natsu Dragneel.

Levy felt her heart sink.

It's happening. More blood really will spill now.

"Oh no."

Wrenching free from Levy's hand, Lisanna ran towards him; long skirt flying in the wind.

To her, it didn't matter whether a friend was lodged in the mouth of a serpent or stuck harmlessly on top of a tree. Lisanna's blunt courage could not differentiate.

"Lisanna!" Levy cried, her mind stuck in the middle of her instinct to take flight or to engage in fight. Blinking, and muttering a prayer, the young girl ran after her.

The few precious rays of afternoon light waned away as dusk settled in. An ominous chill surrounded the square as two figures stood silently; conveying through their unbroken, intense glare fixated on each other. The hastily deserted stands of the terrified vendors were knocked over and lying miserably in their broken frames of spruce.

Standing in the middle of the square was Natsu; face smudged with dirt, veins bulging and eyes dipped in amber fire. Across from him stood a slack-posed young man with swept blonde hair and a taunting smirk that stretched from ear to ear.

"The Heartfillia…" Levy whispered.

"Natsu!" Lisanna shouted; her echoing voice bouncing off of the ivy-strewn walls of the square. Levy winced as the Heartfillia turned his head in vain languor to them. Natsu turned as well, the anger from his eyes softened as he saw Lisanna.

"What are you doing here? Go back!"

"I'm not going back unless you come!"

A deep scowl formed across the boy's face. Levy looked as an internal battle raged upon his features- it took a few moments to surrender.

"It's not over yet, Eucliffe!" He yelled, walking in the direction of his old friend.

"Aww, is little Natsu scared of a woman?" The Heartfillia slurred; his voice warm in twisted satisfaction as if he had won all of their coming battles.

Lisanna clenched her fists and bared her teeth, but she did not move.

"That does it you bas-

Natsu growled, turning back.

Lisanna immediately grabbed the collar of his vest and spun him around; her spare hand's nails digging mercilessly into his flesh.

"Ignore him, Natsu."

"That little bitch is askin' for it!" He spat, pointing accusingly at the man,"so let me go!"

Angered, Lisanna gave him a look so fierce and very much in contrast with her usual sugary mien that Natsu fell silent immediately.

The two girls then quickly hustled the boy out of the square, with the blonde man hurling obscene insults after them.

It was a mystery to Levy why Lisanna had not battled alongside Natsu as she had done so countless times before.

The Fairy Tail pride should've been roaring.

Especially in front of a Heartfillia as arrogant as that man was.

...But why didn't it?

* * *

The lambent light of the baroque street lamps fell in golden spools on the path, as the three friends walked in silence to the guild. There was nothing more to say. Natsu's usual enthusiasm and go-lucky silliness towards most things was withering in the rejections that no one, including himself, thought he'd ever face. Every time either of the girls tried to bring up small talk to dissolve the awkwardness, it always trailed off to an even more awkward atmosphere. In the end, they gave up altogether.

Without much to do, Levy looked up at the sky for the sky for constellations.

"Pebbles of light brought alive in woven link." She smiled as she silently quoted a snippet from the poetry of Lucy. Her smile quickly folded into a frown when she realized that Lucy was a Heartfillia and that she couldn't share those elegant words with her friends or in the future, Gajeel (who never really liked literature anyways, but Levy would recite it to him despite his complaints).

As she strained her eyes, to her disappointment, the inky velvet of the night sky didn't blink that night. She let out a small sigh.

Her low-heeled shoes ground against the sandy road; rhythmically in sync with her friends. The slow, melodic chant echoed in the cooling air swirling about the empty paths.

In the near distance, the familiar outline of the welcoming Guild appeared in sight. Orange windows were painted with the black silhouettes of their friends.

* * *

"What's up with Natsu?" Gray asked, "That little shit's been sulking all week."

"Ah, Gray, you shouldn't say that…he really likes Erza!" Mirajane reproved, her brows knitted in worry as she wiped clean another dish slathered in foam, "I really feel bad for him…"

"Tch. Rejection is what men will have to face. That delicate buttercup should really man the hell up." Elfman sneered, slamming down his fist on the bar table. "It is absolutely womanish to be like that!"

Gray rolled his eyes.

"Seems like you've faced a lot, from the way you said it." He snickered, playing with his necklace, "you're pretty manly after all."

"I'm telling you all men face it!" Elman growled a hint of pinkish embarrassment dusting across his angular, burnt-brown face.

"Exactly, Gray. And speaking of it, when are you actually going to _reject_ Juvia?" Lisanna asked, walking up to the group gathered around the bar table. She didn't take too well at others sneering at her brother's especially turbulent love life, even though she had done so to many others.

Mirajane tucked away a smile.

"Who said anything about that?" He said; his voice incredulous. "I think I made-and do make-it fairly obvious to her that I don't enjoy being stalked day after day."

Elfman grunted disapprovingly.

"Tch. What a sorry excuse for a man. Having a girl confess to you first! Outta be ashamed of yourself-

"You got it wrong! I don't like her at all!" Gray interrupted angrily. His brows furrowed so tightly that they nearly touched his steely eyes.

"That redness on your face can't be rouge…or have you really been stealing my makeup?" Mirajane teased slyly, trying not to laugh.

"Not you too, Mirajane!" Gray groaned, burying his face into his hands.

The group laughed heartily, taking turns to poke and shove at the annoyed and visibly flustered Ice Mage.

* * *

Inside the foyer of the Fairy Tail Guild, the bustling noises and laughter provided an embracing and friendly atmosphere. Meanwhile, Mirajane thoughtfully observed the solitary figure of Natsu, bowed over a stationary table at the very corner of the room. Starless boredom hung over him like a curse. Amidst the din of the clanking of beer jugs, snippets of bawdy jokes, and tall tales, Natsu did look out of place.

Mirajane frowned. She never thought the day would come when she would feel bothered that Natsu was not breaking the chinaware and stools.

"My, my…it seems that I will be forced to talk to Erza…"

She soliloquized, scratching her head; gaze evenly suspended over Natsu's slumped contour.

* * *

Sting Eucliffe sauntered back into the castellated hallways of the Heartfillia Estate. They took immense pride in the elaborate architecture. The ingenious property that stretched over the lush green rolling hills was girdled by a wrought-iron wall higher than three men for the safety of the family inside; the leader of the Konzern and his wife, Jude and Leila Heartfillia, and their daughter, Lucy. The family had a taste for everything expensive and rare, and their constant renovations to make the estate even more robust were readily backed up by their wealth. Clusters of gold, silver, and precious gems adorned the interior by hundreds as if they were as plentiful as wood or iron.

Light, much of it, never ceased to illuminated the castle as bright as day even in the most ungodly of hours.

The usual splendor of the unusual darkened his mood tonight.

The Lady was not going to be happy.

She had wanted Natsu's limbs served on a platter and expected nothing less.

He promised nothing more.

He sighed and turned a corner, his steps echoing in the great expanse. The young man then paused in front of the large doors at the end of the hall...

_Ah, this is it…_

…and pushed.

Inside, the overwhelming smell of spicy potpourri and great cats hit his nose. He looked to see the Lady curled upon a large chair, petting an enormous white tiger apathetically.

Her gaze rested languidly on the tiger, but the small smirk that teased her lips acknowledged Sting's presence.

"I presume that you have lost again?" She inquired, her finger now tracing the fur's intricate stripes. Sting snorted.

"Not lost, as you would put it, I almost beat the shit out of him. Then some brats came up and dragged him away."

At this, the lady's hand came down sharply upon the armrest of that great chair. The tiger let out a snarl. She uncurled from her position, and slowly made her way to Sting; stopping her face a few millimeters away from Sting's.

"There is no such thing as 'almost', Sting." She whispered, her sultry tone gone.

Sting was at lost for words. Minerva peered menacingly into his eyes for a few moments, and then swiftly broke her glare. She pointed her nose up to the air, as if to detect prey.

"Who is there?" She demanded angrily, pushing Sting aside.

There was no reply.

The lady's mouth curled into a half-grin. What made up the other half, Sting was not quite sure.

It was feline, like the Lady herself, dripping with sarcasm, elegance and a certain air of arrogance. Hungry and cold and malevolent.

A cruel expression.

In a flash, the double-doors exploded in dazzling heat with a thin flick of her hand.

Cowering, and scared, a silhouette unmistakable of Lucy Heartfillia's appeared as the dust settled over the wreckage.

"What the heck was that?!" the heiress screamed, jabbing a finger at Minerva, who waved her hand dismissively. "I mistook you for an eavesdropper. Pardon me, if you will, but we may need new doors."

"Forget about the doors! You nearly KILLED me! Are you not going to say sorry?" Lucy shrieked, waving her hands over her head dramatically. She suddenly stopped when she saw male presence in the room, settling down, embarrassed. "Oh, hello Sting-san."

"Hey."

Lucy patted her hair and smoothed her elaborate pink gown. The Lady sighed in annoyance.

"Well, anyways, my father wanted me to tell you guys-

"Do not speak slang in my presence. It also makes you sound like a sniveling peasant." Minerva snapped.

Lucy shot her a glare.

And with a scoff, she continued, "anyhow, there will be a ball next week. A really big one. Father says that whoever wants to attend may attend, as long as they have a date and proper ballroom attire. It's mandatory."

Sting and Minerva looked at each other.

Lucy squirmed at the silent way of communication that they used whenever she was around. It was so well versed that they once stood staring at each other for almost an hour before they spoke to her…after she had forcefully let out a few rounds of rib-cracking coughing.

She now contemplated in doing so again.

"Why?" Sting asked finally.

Lucy startled.

"Well because that's the rule. Of course, you could sneak in without one, but one of the guards will catch you and father wouldn't be too happy, and you know when that happens-

"No, I meant why are we having a ball? Lord Heartfillia hates exposing the property to anyone. That's why there are walls."

At this, Lucy fell silent; her face turned as pink as her gown.

"Are you soft-headed? Can you not clearly _see_…that Lucy is of age?" Minerva said softly, gazing slyly at the other girl, "Master will be choosing a suitor for her…"

Sting's eyes widened in surprise.

Lucy nodded embarrassedly. "…I just hope he won't choose someone really old and ugly."

She let out an uncomfortable laugh; trying to ease the excitement exposed by her telltale blush. "Well, father really wanted to have both of you, Rufus-san and Orga-san there. In case there's trouble, you know. You really are his best men."

The trouble she spoke of was none other than the Fairy Tail members: the only sort of trouble that could not be dissolved by the Heartfillia Konzern's immense wealth and power.

Sting hissed at the subtle reminder of them.

"Well, I guess that's all for now. I'm going to meet with my tailor! I'm getting my dress made in Chinese silk!" Lucy grinned gleefully, clasping both hands as she swept out of the room.

Minerva smirked as she saw her ungracefully stumbled over the double-doors reduced to nothing but rubble.

"You are an absolute devil, Lady."

Sting murmured fondly, glancing at the expression the Lady wore so naturally on her face.

* * *

A / N :

So basically I was, let's say, inspired to make this fanfiction.

I've always wanted to write in the FT universe.

Let's see how I do, hehe.

What is Sabertooth doing here?

I've always been fascinated by Minerva and Sting and Rufus. So why not make them side with the Heartfillias? Right? Well, consider them the members of the Heartfillia Konzern. I know this story is kind of all over the place, but I promise it'll get better ;)

For those confused by why Lisanna didn't fight, or this may be a reminder to those who didn't even noticed; it shall be revealed in a few chapters.

LOTS OF LOVE TRIANGLES.

Fanfictions really do bring out that inner beggar right? Well. Please spare some reviews.

I live off of them. For serious.

But honestly, was this good?


End file.
